Being an NFL quarterback is the ultimate glory-or-goat proposition. Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions are off to an 0-3 start. As Lisk and I have discussed several times on our weekly preview podcast (the most recent of which is at the bottom of the page), Stafford is certainly not bad, but he’s 27 years old now and in his seventh season. He hasn’t made the leap that the masses demand from somebody with his physical ability who was once the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Far too often, however, critiques about athletes’ job performance bleed into their personal lives. Some fans are apparently of the belief that the money and/or attention they shell out, and the salaries and publicity bestowed upon stars, grant a license for dehumanization. In a recent Instagram photo, Stafford’s wife Kelly alluded to (but did not go into hard specifics about) some of what they’ve had to endure, but also shared a nice note from a local supporter. This is a good reminder that we should all have more empathy for the people we are talking about when we follow sports.
[H/T Shaun Michael]
from The Big Lead http://ift.tt/1hgbtI7
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